THE JEWS
Oh! oh!
HERODIAS
Give me the head of Iokanaan!
HEROD
[Sinking back in his seat.]
Let her be given what she asks! Of a truth she is her mother's child.
[The first soldier approaches. Herodias draws from the hand of the
Tetrarch the ring of death, and gives it to the Soldier,
who straightway bears it to the Executioner.
The Executioner looks scared.]
Who has taken my ring? There was a ring on my right hand.
Who has drunk my wine?
There was wine in my cup. It was full of wine.
Some one has drunk it! Oh! surely some evil will befall some one.
[The Executioner goes down into the cistern.]
Ah! wherefore did I give my oath?
Hereafter let no king swear an oath.
If he keep it not, it is terrible, and if he keep it, it is terrible also.
HERODIAS
My daughter has done well.
HEROD
I am sure that some misfortune will happen.
SALOME
[She leans over the cistern and listens.]
There is no sound. I hear nothing.
Why does he not cry out, this man?
Ah! if any man sought to kill me,
I would cry out, I would struggle, I would not suffer . . . .
Strike, strike, Naaman, strike, I tell you. . . .
No, I hear nothing. There is a silence, a terrible silence.
Ah! something has fallen upon the ground.
I heard something fall. It was the sword of the executioner.
He is afraid, this slave. He has dropped his sword. He dares not kill him.
He is a coward, this slave!
Let soldiers be sent.
[She sees the Page of Herodias and addresses him.]
Come hither. Thou wert the friend of him who is dead, wert thou not?
Well, I tell thee, there are not dead men enough.
Go to the soldiers and bid them go down and bring me the thing I ask,
the thing the Tetrarch has promised me, the thing that is mine.
[The Page recoils. She turns to the soldiers.]
Hither, ye soldiers. Get ye down into this cistern and bring me the head
of this man. Tetrarch, Tetrarch, command your soldiers that they
bring me the head of Iokanaan.
[A huge black arm, the arm of the Executioner, comes forth from the cistern,
bearing on a silver shield the head of lokanaan.
Salome seizes it.
Herod hides his face with his cloak.
Herodias smiles and fans herself.
The Nazarenes fall on their knees and begin to pray.]
Ah! thou wouldst not suffer me to kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan.
Well! I will kiss it now.
I will bite it with my teeth as one bites a ripe fruit.
Yes, I will kiss thy mouth, Iokanaan.
I said it; did I not say it? I said it.
Ah! I will kiss it now . . . .
But wherefore dost thou not look at me, Iokanaan?
Thine eyes that were so terrible, so full of rage and scorn, are shut now.
Wherefore are they shut?
Open thine eyes!
Lift up thine eyelids, Iokanaan!
Wherefore dost thou not look at me?
Art thou afraid of me, Iokanaan, that thou wilt not look at me? . . .
And thy tongue, that was like a red snake darting poison, it moves no more,
it speaks no words, Iokanaan, that scarlet viper that spat its venom upon me.
It is strange, is it not?
How is it that the red viper stirs no longer?. . .
Thou wouldst have none of me, Iokanaan.
Thou rejectedst me.
Thou didst speak evil words against me.
Thou didst bear thyself toward me as to a harlot,
as to a woman that is a wanton, to me, Salome,
daughter of Herodias, Princess of Judaea!
Well, I still live, but thou art dead, and thy head belongs to me. I can do with it what I will.
I can throw it to the dogs and to the birds of the air.
